Jamshid Khodjaev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, announced that he held a video conference with Nooruddin Azizi, Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce under the Islamic Emirate, to discuss accelerating bilateral trade growth and reaching an ambitious target of $5 billion in annual trade volume.
Kabul 24: According to Khodjaev, bilateral trade has grown significantly over the past five years, increasing 2.5 times from $653 million in 2021 to approximately $1.7 billion in 2025 (with Uzbek exports comprising the majority, around $1.5–1.68 billion).
Both sides expressed strong commitment to this shared goal and agreed to expedite the implementation of the recently signed preferential trade regime, which includes eight product categories from Afghanistan and six from Uzbekistan.
Nooruddin Azizi emphasized that previous trade levels hovered between $200–300 million but have now reached around $1 billion thanks to the mutual determination of both countries. He stressed the need to swiftly operationalize the preferential trade agreement and expressed confidence that the $5 billion target is achievable. Upcoming agreements in transport, transit, general trade, and especially pharmaceutical imports are expected to be signed soon.
An Afghan delegation is also preparing to visit Uzbekistan in the near future to advance these discussions.Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment described the commercial ties with Tashkent as steadily expanding, with substantial untapped potential.
Mohammad Wali Amini, Acting CEO of the chamber, noted that current trade stands at about $1.5–1.6 billion and projected further growth toward $4–5 billion as a major and realistic objective for both nations.
Waseem Safi, Head of the Agriculture and Livestock Chamber’s Board, highlighted opportunities in the agricultural sector. Uzbekistan’s advanced textile industry requires high-quality cotton, and Afghanistan’s private sector is ready for contract farming in northern provinces and Helmand to produce and export premium cotton to support Uzbek factories.
These recent talks reflect a strong push by both neighboring countries to deepen economic cooperation, reduce trade barriers, leverage their strategic geographic positions, and foster regional development through enhanced connectivity and investment.
The rapid trade growth in recent years underscores the viability of the $5 billion ambition.
